I am currently setting up a 4ft 75 gallon tank. I plan on doing buce, anubias, and some java moss. With some options to plant other low tech plants in the future. I have heard I can use organic top soil like miracle grow organic. Is this legit advice? Could someone with experience let me know my best options for what I’m trying to achieve? I’ll have a finnex planted + light, a pennplax 1000 for filtration, I plan on two 150 watt heaters. Driftwood and maybe some round small boulder like rocs for hard scape.

When buying this from the pet store it is simply labeled “assorted plant,” but I’d like to know what it is specifically, as it’s a hardy grower and my shrimp seem to enjoy it.

Hey everyone!

I’m looking for the best fertilizer to grow Wolffia globosa (Asian watermeal), aiming for strong growth while keeping it safe for consumption. I currently have a few fertilizers on hand but am uncertain about the ideal choice and how best to dose it without affecting water quality.

Here’s what I have available:

•	Hesi Bio Grow – I’ve noticed it tends to turn the water brown, which I haven’t seen with other fertilizers. Is this normal? I’m worried it might be too strong or not dissolve properly, especially since I only have a small amount of Wolffia. Would a lighter dose help, or should I be looking at alternatives?
•	Hesi Bio Bloom – I know this is designed more for flowering, but could small doses help with Wolffia growth, or is it unnecessary?
•	Terra Aquatica Grow (Powder) – This one doesn’t fully dissolve and often settles at the bottom. If you’ve used it, any tips on dissolving it better, or should I stick to a liquid fertilizer?

I’m also wondering if I should switch to a specific aquarium fertilizer or hydroponic fertilizer instead. Has anyone tried both types for Wolffia? I’d love to know which one would be better for maintaining clear water and providing the right nutrients for edible plants.

For those who’ve grown Wolffia successfully, how would you handle the dosing with any of these products? Is there a fertilizer you recommend that keeps the water clear and is still safe for consumption? I have no fish.

Any extra tips for keeping Wolffia healthy and vibrant would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for any advice!

I have used the same Seiryu Stone in a malawi tank for a year, followed by a planted tank for 2 years. I took a break from the hobby but now have a new setup. I have scaped using the same Seiryu stone that was used in both previous tanks.

Does anyone know if Seiryu Stone and its water leaching properties diminish over time?

Does the content of materials found within Seiryu break down and therefore reduce its water altering properties?

Thanks!

First planted tank - 29g. Temperature 77F, pH 7.5. My tank inhabitants are currently 7 serpae tetras and two nerite snails, and I’m thinking about adding 5 zebra danios and 6 kuhli loaches. I’m curious for feedback on this stocking/recommendations if this community has any:

Have this light on my 6 gal shallow betta tank. I'd like to raise it up for better coverage. It's in my office so I don't really want to hang anything from the ceiling. Anything i can use as a riser for it?

Is this normal growth for Christmas moss? It's starting to reach out.

Left tank has this cloudy water which i am unable to solve. It has been months. I do weekly water changes, but no change

Just asking cuz yesterday i found a baby serpae tetra in one of my other tanks which had 5 pairs of serpaes( he is the only lucky survivor considering now there are 2 red eye tetras and a plakat betta in there) the neons are approx 0.75 inches

Hi all Does anyone have experience keeping Congo Tetras with other fish?

Are they peaceful? Would they coexist with a single Angel fish and a Pearl gourami? In a 75 gallon. Also what's the smallest fish they can go with? They have quite sharp teeth from what I've been able to tell. I have cardinal Tetras and some rummy nose. I also want to add some CPD when they get a bit bigger.

Would that work?

TIA

The light is a Twinstar 600ea IV. It's a 2100 lumen, 40w lamp that has 7 dimmable sections. I've got like 6 (considered) easy plants now, but will add 5 ferns and 5 anubias later this week The tank is about 18 gallons and the dimensions are 60x30x40.

I've been running it at 4/7 strength and I keep it on for about 6 hours in the morning, then another 2/3 hours in the evening. No algae growth yet, but also no plant growth. Should I just let it run at full blast?

I got a few stems of limnophila sessiliflora plants. The store has sent them with the bottom ends sandwiched inbetween some kind of a fibre-sponge (in pictures). So i cut that material in little squares and made holes with a toothpick. Placed the plants' bottom end to the hole. And used a few little rocks as weight to hold that fibre-sponge material in place.

I dont know if this occured because the tank is still in the middle of being cycled but the little half a centimeter sections of the plants where i placed in the fibre thing turned brown and melted while the top parts of the plants grew even with a denser rows of leaves.

So i may need to learn new tricks to hold the plants in place but i dont use gravel to bury them. Thanks for any kind of recommendations in advance.

Hi, I've been cycling my tank for around 2 weeks and this morning noticed a white fluffy thing dangling from my driftwood. Does anyone know what it is? Is it safe, or should I remove it?

Thanks in advance!

I’m asking for both plants in this picture. I just made this tank about 2 weeks ago, it’s aqua soil substrate capped by sand with a little liquid fertiliser in the water. The red floaters are not really red and in the leaf on the top there is a transparent patch( it’s semi brown here) and some others have cuts in the leaves. Then the Rotala Rotundifolia Red is also not red, all of its bottom leaves melted (expected in a new plant) but the new leaves are the color seen a bit paler than I’d like.

Help me please 😭

I have this awquard sized 45g tall tank I bought used and resealed (don't judge my messy seal job or scratches please haha, I'm aware it's not perfect but it seems solid and the price was right. I'm at peace with the imperfections)

Dimensions are 20"x18"x30" (50cm x 45cm x 77cm) Substrate is on the deep side, so the light only needs to penetrate 25.5" (65cm) of water at the deepest point

No CO2, but it has a capped active substrate and I also use liquid ferts.

It's been up and running for a while with a 100w sansi grow light hanging above it, and the plants seem happy enough but I'm not a fan of how it looks, with everything taking on a more yellow hue. I use a nicrew on my smaller tank and it looks much nicer in terms of colors, especially the way the Reds pop. With this sansi light the Reds are fairly muted as you can see.

I don't mind spending some money on a good light that's going to continue to stimulate nice, compact growth like I'm seeing now but also has better features and has a more clear color palette under water. I was looking at chihiros wrgb2 45, and weekaqua p600 but my tank's strange dimensions have me a little stumped in terms of what will provide good coverage.

Sorry for being so long winded, but does anyone have a light recommendation for my strange tank? Thank you!

I recently bought anubias pinto and glued it into my drift wood, this is the 5th day that the tank is flooded and I see the leaves start curling up. Is this normal? If it s a sign of deficiency, what can i do to protect it. Also there are a few damage on the leaves when i first bought it start turning brownish as well

Demo

Yeast/sugar DIY CO2.

Let us zero in on this underrated recondite corner of the planted-tank community for a moment.

Here is the prize if you manage to set it up correctly:

- $20-$30 TOTAL starting cost (including ALL equipment AND ingredients).

- Each reaction lasts 2+ months when setup correctly.

So then, if that drew your interest, here is EXACTLY how to set it up correctly based on my personal experience and research:

*Ingredients*
(1) An empty regular 2-liter pop bottle.
(2) 1-3 feet of regular airline tubing.
(3) A regular CO2 diffuser + check valve.
(4) Half a packet of regular yeast [OR] for a significant upgrade: champagne yeast off Amazon
(5) 7-14 grams of regular gelatin (in either powder OR sheet form). (A $5 pack of gelatin from the grocery store is more than enough for a single reaction).
(6) 250 grams (1 cup) of the cheapest regular sugar.

*Equipment*
(1) A regular drill [OR] something else to poke a bottle cap hole.
(2) A regular stove.
(3) A regular pot.
(4) A regular faucet and sink.
(5) A funnel (can be easily DIY'ed if needed).

*Instructions - The Mixture*
(These must be followed exactly)

(1) Dissolve all 250 grams (1 cup) of sugar in a small pot of water on low heat.
(2). If the gelatin is powdered, bloom it on COLD water by sprinkling it on the surface for 5 minutes. Once the gelatin is fully bloomed, make the water HOT (through a variety of methods) and stir the gelatin to fully dissolve it.

Otherwise, if the gelatin is NOT powdered, simply dissolve it in cold water.

(3) Pour all the SUGARED water into the 2-liter through the funnel.
(4) NEXT, pour all the GELATIN water into the 2-liter through the funnel.
(5) Activate A.K.A. "proof" the yeast in a small cup of warm water with a pinch of sugar (could take 15-20 minutes max).
(6) Pour the ACTIVATED YEAST into the 2-liter through the funnel.

*Instructions - The System*
(1) Make a hole in the bottle cap slightly smaller than the airline tubing diameter.
(2) Make a slanted cut on the end of the airline tubing and pull it through the hole in the bottle cap.
(3) Attach the CO2 diffuser + check valve to the airline tubing.
(4) Screw on the bottle cap.
(5) Put the CO2 diffuser in the aquarium.
(6) Wait 6-12 hours
(7) Observe magnificent CO2 production for 2+ months before remaking the mixture.

And that is all :)

At nighttime, the CO2 diffuser can be moved to a small cup of water [OR] simply kept running in the aquarium because some fish actually do not mind it.

In conclusion, if you are not going to splurge on a starting cost of hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on high quality CO2 equipment, consider trying out the DIY yeast/sugar system.

Yes, the high-quality equipment will pay for itself in the long-run, but the yeast/sugar DIY system is an excellent alternative for those who cannot afford the exorbitant starting cost of a fully-fledged CO2 system.

I hope this helps anyone who dreams of CO2 in their nano-tank but has brushed off trying the DIY route in the past. It works, and it works GREAT.